When the moving truck pulled into the driveway of the house next door Jasper's stomach tensed. He'd been living in the dilapidated neighborhood for several years now. Save for Peter and his wife, who lived just down the street, there were no other residents. It was peaceful, quiet- just the way the man liked it. A family living right next door, though? Who knows what that would mean. Kids, pets, parties, all sorts of disruptions. No, Japer liked things the way they were with just him and his dog Major.
Fortunately, the first two months after the neighbors had moved in had been relatively quiet. He occasionally saw a man out in the backyard, and a small woman hopping into her car. Jasper never introduced himself or looked too closely into their daily comings and goings. The most interaction he'd had with any of them was an occasional polite wave when he was out walking Major.
Of course, nothing good ever lasted, and the problems began the day after Thanksgiving. What started small, as a brightly lit Christmas tree that shone in Jasper's eyes as he pulled into his driveway, quickly evolved into a bigger problem. By the first of December, the couple, or at least he assumed they were a couple, had decked the home in quite an impressive light show. Inflatables were scattered strategically throughout the front yard as well as the roof. Multicolored lights and garland were strung across the gutters, wrapped around the windows, and wrapped around the porch columns. Nutcracker statures nearly rivaling Jasper's impressive height stood at either side of the staircase leading up to the house, and finally, a gigantic wreath hung on the front door.
The holiday display was impressive; even Jasper, who adamantly hated Christmas, found the setup endearing, at least at first. At a certain point, it had gotten out of hand; the extensive collection of lights were too much for his curtains shining into his bedroom at night, rendering sleep extremely difficult. Not wanting to be one of those annoying neighbors who complained, he'd made an honest attempt to deal with it, even going to far as to borrow a sleeping mask from Charlotte up the street.
But it only got worse; such an over the top display was bound to attract attention. By the fourth of December, the townsfolk had begun driving through the neighborhood at all hours of the night, stopping on Jasper's street stare in awe at what new elements had recently been added to his neighbor's lights display. By the seventh, it had caught the news's attention, and consequently, viewers from all over the area began to make the journey to his once quiet neighborhood.
After a week of tossing and turning, he'd decided enough was enough and made his way over to the house with the intentions of politely but clearly asking these people to at least unplug the decorations after a reasonable hour. So on the next Saturday afternoon, he pulled on a jacket and crossed the grass divide between the two homes. He knocked on the door, careful to avoid the delicate wreath hanging from the door, and waited, mentally running through the carefully thought out speech he'd constructed that morning.
When the door opened, he was momentarily confused as there didn't appear to be anyone standing there until he chanced a look down. The woman he'd seen on occasion in passing stood in the doorway looking up at him with wide, curious eyes that gave him pause. It was unexpected, to say the least, the way the words got caught in his throat or how his heart stalled in his chest. He'd planned this encounter out perfectly, yet here he stood blindsided, unable to get a word out. Meanwhile, the woman just stood there, patiently, with her head cocked to the side in question.
"Can I help you, sir?" She finally broke the silence bringing Jasper crashing back to the reality of the situation.
"Oh... I uh..." The words came stumbling out as he tried to concoct some explanation for his presence on the woman's porch, having decided he no longer felt like complaining. "I'm Jasper," The words came out more smoothly as he finally settled on an excuse. "I live next door and wanted to come by and introduce myself."
"Oh!" The woman seemed to relax, a bright, captivating smile spreading across her face that caused her eyes to light up more beautifully than any of the numerous lights adorning her home. "I'm Alice. Would you like to come inside? I was just taking a cocoa break; I'd love someone to chat with."
He wanted to say no, to retreat home and devise a new plan for dealing with the lights but found himself nodding dumbly as he followed the woman into her home. The interior, he noted as she led him to the kitchen, was just as thoroughly decorated as the exterior. Lights anywhere they could feasibly be strung, an enormous tree covered in so many ornaments Jasper thought it may topple over if even one more was added. Holiday-themed knick-knacks were sat upon every surface and a collection of elaborately decorated gifts overflowed from beneath the tree.
"You must really enjoy The Holiday's," Jasper commented as he took the seat Alice indicated to at a round table only large enough to fit two chairs tucked away in the corner of the room. The corner of the woman's mouth raised in a slight smile as she pulled a Santa mug from the cupboard and placed it on the counter next to the snowman counterpart she'd already laid out for herself.
"Yes," She responded after a moment of contemplation, speaking with her back turned as she poured the dark chocolaty drink into the mugs. She placed the coffee pot she'd used to prepare the cocoa back into its place before continuing. "I love any reason to celebrate, but Christmas is my favorite." Finally turning around with two cups of hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows, sprinkles of nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick. "But Christmas is my absolute favorite."
Jasper gave the woman a moment to take her seat and slide one of the mugs over to him before responding. "Why is that if you don't mind me asking?"
"Well, despite being a self-proclaimed summer girl," She opened with a half-smile, chuckling lightly. "There's something almost magical about December. All of the different holidays coinciding in one month, people going out of their way to find the perfect gifts and grand gestures for the people they care about most. I like all the lights glittering against the snow, all of it, you know. It makes me feel like a little kid again, full of wonder like I can forget about all my grownup problems even if it's only for a month."
"I guess I've never looked at it that way," Jasper responded, taking a sip of his cocoa contemplating her words.
"I did notice your own decorations are a bit lacking; I assume you're not a big holiday person?"
"Not really my thing."
"Well, tell me about yourself then. What is your thing, Jasper?"
The conversation flowed freely from there, both parties chatting comfortably, getting to know the other over multiple cups of hot chocolate and an eventual plate of Christmas cookies. It wasn't until the door opened and the man Jasper had seen on occasion walked in the front door home from a day out that they realized just how much time had passed. Alice quickly introduced him as her brother Emmett, a relief he didn't quite understand washing over him at the information. The sky was now dark, and Jasper decided he had probably imposed on the woman quite long enough and bid Alice and her brother goodbye.
Realizing he hadn't brought up the lights' issue, he hopped into his truck still parked in the driveway and headed to Target for some blackout curtains. In a last-second spur of the moment decision, he also tossed a couple boxes of Christmas lights into the cart to hang up the next day.
It wasn't an unusual occurrence for Jasper to get mail belonging to someone else. Occasionally Peter and Charlotte's Amazon orders would find themselves in his mailbox, just as often the absent-minded postal worker who tended to the neighborhood's delivery needs would end up gracing Jasper's sole neighbors with his packages. So he shouldn't have frozen in place upon discovering two letters addressed to Alice and Emmett Cullen when he opened the mailbox perched at the front of his yard.
Usually, when this happened with Peter or Charlotte's mail, he would sigh and inform Major that their morning walk had been extended slightly as he crossed the street to make the short single block trek to correct the error. This time, however, he stood staring at the two thin red envelopes with neatly handwritten cursive addressing them to his new neighbors.
However, it wasn't long before Major began to whine at the man's feet to indicate to his owner that the basset hound was ready for breakfast, promoting Jasper to finally look away from the mail, bundle it up with his own and bring his dog inside.
As Jasper measured out Major's morning meal, a thought crossed his mind. Those red envelopes currently sitting on the table next to the door in his entryway were more than likely holiday cards. That thought lead to yet another impulsive idea on Jasper's part.
After feeding his beloved dog and making sure the canine had plenty of water, Jasper made his way back outside, this time hopping into his truck and made his way, so a small local gift shop that he knew from talking to his sister had an excellent selection of cards.
A short drive, Jasper had arrived on main street only a few blocks from his home. He parked in front of the small store and took a breath before entering the building before he could question what had gotten into him. Inside, the building was decorated for the holidays, and quite a few of the folks he knew from town were presently perusing the cramped aisles filled with knick-knacks of all themes and sizes.
Keeping his eyes down, Jasper made his way to the back of the shop where an entire wall was dedicated to cards, over half of which at this time of year were holiday-themed. The number of options was overwhelming, causing the man to stand in contemplation, looking over the various designs as he tried to decipher just what was appropriate to purchase for the situation. There wasn't exactly a tab that read 'for your cute but strange new neighbor you've only talked to once but would very much like to get to know.'
He was so caught up in the seemingly endless supply of Christmas cards that he didn't notice when a brunette of medium height snuck up on him with a "Hey Jasper."
The man jumped slightly before turning his head to see Bella Swan smirking up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Need help?" She asked with an amused tone.
"What do you know about holiday cards?"
"Since when do you do anything for the holidays?" Bella's expression quickly morphed from amusement to utter shock. It was no secret that Jasper wasn't a holiday guy; he didn't decorate, didn't exchange gifts, and definitely didn't send out cards.
"I mean," The woman continued without skipping a beat, seemingly unphased by the blush slowly creeping up Jasper's cheeks or his deer in the headlights' expression. "Edythe told me you had lights up, but I guess I just assumed she was messing with me."
"I don't do the holidays, I just... put up some lights and want to send one card. That's it."
"Oookaay." The skeptical Bella drug the word out, still in disbelief. "So, who's the girl."
"Who said there was a"
"Don't even try Whitlock." She cut him off with a glare.
"Fine," The man sighed in defeat, allowing his shoulders to sag slightly; having learned long ago just how stubborn Isabella Swan could be, he didn't particularly want to enter into a losing argument. "It's my new neighbor."
"The one on the news with the lights display?"
"That would be the one."
"Huh, I figured you'd be ready to kill her not standing here fretting about overpriced gift cards."
"What can I say, I'm full of surprises today. Got any thoughts on this? I'm kind of out of my element here."
Bella didn't hesitate, going directly for a card on one of the higher racks that she handed to him confidently. It was a dark parchment shade of brown with layers of colored cardboard forming a holiday tree. Flipping it open to the inside, the only text read 'Happy Holidays."
"It's perfect," Jasper commented, looking up at Bella with a half-smile.
"I know; want me to ring you up?"
"Lead the way, Miss Swan." Jasper gestured to the counter near the middle of the shop with his free hand and a little bow.
If he also picked up a hand knitted snowman plush that would fit in nicely with the collection he'd seen on the back of Alice's couch on their way to the checkout area well, that was between himself and Bella, who rang up his selections with a knowing smirk.
Jasper took the small paper sack that his friend had placed the items into and exited the store ignoring her comment of "Go get em' tiger." complemented by finger guns. The drive back home may have been short, but it was plenty of time for the man to begin questioning his decisions.
Bella may have been encouraging, but what if this was weird? The card was one thing; he was relatively confident that giving a card to your neighbor was normal. At least, in the countless Hallmark movies, he'd endured with his sister, that seemed to be something people did. But the gift? Was that too much? In the end, the plush remained in the bag on his table when he gathered up the cards mistakenly left in his mailbox, now paired with the new envelope with Alice's name messily scrawled across the front.
After the holiday cards incident, Jasper had only had a handful of encounters with his new neighbor, and yet he frequently struggled to stop himself from thinking about the odd yet charming woman. It didn't help that his home was beginning to fill up with reminders of Alice. From the now wrapped snowman plushie he'd still yet to give the woman, to the undecorated Christmas tree she'd somehow talked him into buying, to the plate of home-baked cookies sitting on his counter pushed back against the wall where Major wouldn't be able to reach.
Today was the day he'd intended to decorate his tree with ornaments and lights purchased the previous day. Alice had shown up on his doorstep, an increasingly frequent occurrence, with the claim that her car wouldn't start and she needed to pick up some things from the gift shop on main street. Having long since come to terms with his strange inability to say no to the woman, Jasper had acquiesced and given her a ride. That trip had ended with his buying plenty of supplies to decorate the tree. After all, helping him shop had put a smile on Alice's face, and he might as well do something with that tree if it was going to take up space in his living room.
He was carrying the box of new decorations from his kitchen where they'd been stored over the past few days while he was busy at work to his living room when he happened to glance out his window. Alice was standing in the middle of the street, hands on her hips biting her bottom lip with a look of determination on her face that Jasper, even in the short amount of time he'd known the woman had come to know, meant chaos as she stared intently at her front yard.
He could have continued about his day and ignored whatever scheme she was up to this time. He honestly tried repeating to himself to stay out of it as he dropped the box on his couch. Yet, with a deep sigh, as he threw his hands in the air, he exited the house to join Alice in the street.
"There's no snow." She spoke clearly and matter of factly without his prompting as soon as Jasper took his place beside her.
"Come again?"
"There. Is. No. Snow." She looked up at him with her eyebrows knitted together. "There is a week until Christmas, and there's no snow."
"Don't get much of the white stuff down here, ma'am."
"It's got to be perfect," She gestured to her elaborate lights display. "And it won't be perfect without snow."
Jasper didn't like the slight pang he felt in his chest at the dejected look that was beginning to settle across the woman's face. In the short time he'd known Alice, he'd come to realize she was a fixer. In her world, there were no problems, only solutions. Unfortunately, even Alice couldn't control the weather. He knew in that moment that he had to do the impossible. He had to somehow procure snow in Texas all because seeing Alice look so sad was quite possibly the worst sight he could fathom.
He stood with her until she gave and returned inside before following suit to his own home. The tree could wait, he decided as he sat down at his laptop and got to researching. A few hours and one costly Amazon order of instant snow later, he had a plan.
His plan came into action three days later with the help of Peter and Emmett. The instant snow had been converted from a fine sandlike powder into a snowy substance that now covered not only the entirety of the front yard but was spread carefully over the house and abundant decorations creating a picture-perfect holiday scene.
It had taken hours, the vast majority of Alice's eight-hour workday. But Jasper decided it was well worth it to see the delighted look of disbelief and wonder on Alice's face when she returned home. He definitely couldn't complain about the bone-crushing hug she gave him in thanks.
Christmas Eve found Jasper alone at home, settled into his favorite chair, having finally gotten off the phone with an apologetic Rosalie. His sister, the only family he had, called to wish him a Merry Christmas and to inform her brother that she would be unable to make it home for the holiday.
"Well, buddy," Jasper looked down at Major, who lay dozing curled up at the man's feet. "Looks like it's just going to be the two of us this year." He'd only just turned on the T.V. and begun browsing Netflix for something to watch when a knock sounded at his front door.
Jasper exchanged a confused look with Major before rising from his chair to see who could possibly be visiting at such a late hour on Christmas Eve. To his delight, when he swung open the door, Alice was standing on his porch with a soft smile.
"Hi, Jasper!" She exclaimed. "I saw your light on and thought you might be home."
"What can I do for you, Miss Alice?"
"Well, I'm sort of having a little party over at my place. Knowing you, I figured you probably didn't have any plans, and frankly, that's just not acceptable. So. You should come join the festivities."
"I appreciate that, Alice, but I planned on having a quiet evening at home."
"I'm not taking no for an answer."
"Of course you aren't, and I supposed you're not leaving that spot without me, are you."
"You catch on quick, Whitlock. Now hurry up."
Shaking his head at just how ridiculous his life had become in only one short month, Jasper shot a quick glance toward his living room to ensure Major was okay. He followed Alice out of the house, grabbing the wrapped gift he'd purchased the woman from the table by the door as an afterthought.
The house was filled with people having a wonderful time drinking cider, enjoying the numerous wonderful cookies Alice had prepared, and exchanging gifts with friends. He hadn't thought it possible, but the woman had somehow managed to cram even more decorations into her home since the last time he'd visited. Thanks to Alice's impeccable eye for design, what would have looked cluttered and tacky was majestic and beautiful.
"So," Alice asked him, stopping under an archway that parted the living room from a hallway. "What do you have there?"
"Oh, I uh... I picked up a gift... for you." Jasper blushed awkwardly, stuttering over his words once faced with the reality of actually giving the plushie to the woman. "Is that weird? I'm sorry if that's weird."
"Jasper?"
"Yeah?"
"You're an idiot."
"I... what?" That had been the last thing he'd expected, but as he followed her gaze up to the ceiling above their heads, suddenly many things clicked into place upon seeing a small bunch of mistletoe tied together with a red ribbon hanging from the ceiling.
"I physically can not be any more obvious at this point. Now, are you going to kiss me and finally ask me out or not?"
When, after a month of dancing around his crush, Jasper's lips finally met Alice's, he decided that maybe, just maybe, Christmas wasn't all that bad.